Why do we say, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”?[i]By asking God the Father to pardon us, we acknowledge before him that we are sinners. At the same time we proclaim His mercy because in his Son and through the sacraments ‘we have redemption, the forgiveness of sin’ (Colossians 1:14). Still our petition will be answered only if we for our part have forgiven first.

How is forgiveness possible?[ii] Mercy can penetrate our hearts only if we ourselves learn how to forgive – even our enemies. Now even if it seems impossible for us to satisfy this requirement, the heart that offers itself to the Holy Spirit can, like Christ, love even to love’s extreme; it can turn injury into compassion and transform hurt into intercession. Forgiveness participates in the divine mercy and is a high point of Christian prayer.

“If we say, ‘We have fellowship with him,’ while we continue to walk in darkness, we lie and do not act in truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin. If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing.”[iii]

To have fellowship with Christ is to imitate Christ in all things, most especially the Cross. It is from the Cross that Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”[iv] After His resurrection Jesus continues to forgive, He shows this most perfectly when He forgives Saint Peter three times to make up for Peter’s threefold deny. Christians from the beginning have imitated Our Lord and forgiven those who have sinned against them. Saint Stephen when he was being stoned to death cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”[v] Saul (Paul) who had once breathed “murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord”[vi] was reconciled by the apostles who in imitation of Jesus, forgave their enemy Saul and embrace their new brother Apostle Paul. Saint Paul, the great apostle to the Gentiles and pillar of the Church, was given new life by the forgiveness of sins, which included not only the forgiveness of God but the forgiveness of Saint Stephen and the disciples. If Saint Stephen and the other disciples had held a grudge, if they had refused to forgive, what would have become of the “fellowship with one another” that Saint John speaks of in his letter?

In the Sacrament of reconciliation we are reconciled both with God and man. This is why as God forgives us so too must we forgive those who have sinned against us. Jesus through His death and resurrection has reconciled the world to himself. It is only in being reconciled with Christ, that we can be reconciled with each other, for we cannot have or show mercy without divine mercy. We can think of a triangle, with two people at the opposite points of the base and Christ at the point at the top of the triangle. If the two people at the opposite points of the base were to walk up the line to the point at the top of the triangle (Christ) as they draw closer to Christ and are reconciled to Christ they too are called to be reconciled to each other.

“God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”[vii]

This lesson as an introduction along with the following Link to Liturgy lessons may be used as preparation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation:

Search: Bringing Others to Repentance

“forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us”

Why do we say, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”?[i]By asking God the Father to pardon us, we acknowledge before him that we are sinners. At the same time we proclaim His mercy because in his Son and through the sacraments ‘we have redemption, the forgiveness of sin’ (Colossians 1:14). Still our petition will be answered only if we for our part have forgiven first.

How is forgiveness possible?[ii] Mercy can penetrate our hearts only if we ourselves learn how to forgive – even our enemies. Now even if it seems impossible for us to satisfy this requirement, the heart that offers itself to the Holy Spirit can, like Christ, love even to love’s extreme; it can turn injury into compassion and transform hurt into intercession. Forgiveness participates in the divine mercy and is a high point of Christian prayer.

“If we say, ‘We have fellowship with him,’ while we continue to walk in darkness, we lie and do not act in truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin. If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing.”[iii]

To have fellowship with Christ is to imitate Christ in all things, most especially the Cross. It is from the Cross that Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”[iv] After His resurrection Jesus continues to forgive, He shows this most perfectly when He forgives Saint Peter three times to make up for Peter’s threefold deny. Christians from the beginning have imitated Our Lord and forgiven those who have sinned against them. Saint Stephen when he was being stoned to death cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”[v] Saul (Paul) who had once breathed “murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord”[vi] was reconciled by the apostles who in imitation of Jesus, forgave their enemy Saul and embrace their new brother Apostle Paul. Saint Paul, the great apostle to the Gentiles and pillar of the Church, was given new life by the forgiveness of sins, which included not only the forgiveness of God but the forgiveness of Saint Stephen and the disciples. If Saint Stephen and the other disciples had held a grudge, if they had refused to forgive, what would have become of the “fellowship with one another” that Saint John speaks of in his letter?

In the Sacrament of reconciliation we are reconciled both with God and man. This is why as God forgives us so too must we forgive those who have sinned against us. Jesus through His death and resurrection has reconciled the world to himself. It is only in being reconciled with Christ, that we can be reconciled with each other, for we cannot have or show mercy without divine mercy. We can think of a triangle, with two people at the opposite points of the base and Christ at the point at the top of the triangle. If the two people at the opposite points of the base were to walk up the line to the point at the top of the triangle (Christ) as they draw closer to Christ and are reconciled to Christ they too are called to be reconciled to each other.

“God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”[vii]

This lesson as an introduction along with the following Link to Liturgy lessons may be used as preparation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation:

Search: Bringing Others to RepentanceSearch: Easier to Forgive or to Heal?Search: O Key of David - Hope & ReconciliationSearch: ReconciliationSearch: Reconciliation (Bandana Skit)Search: The Father invites all to reconcileSearch: The Prodigal Son: Lost Feeling Search: The Remedy for SinSearch: To Love is to ForgiveSearch: What is Sin?

[i] Compendium – Catechism of the Catholic Church - 594[ii] Compendium – Catechism of the Catholic Church - 595[iii] 1 John 1:6-9[iv] Luke 23:34[v] Acts 7:60[vi] Acts 9:1[vii] Rite of Reconciliation (Roman Rite)Easier to Forgive or to Heal?[See also Link to Liturgy Lesson - O Key of David - Hope & Reconciliation[See also Link to Liturgy Lesson – Reconciliation[See also Link to Liturgy Lesson - Reconciliation (Bandana Skit)[See also Link to Liturgy Lesson - The Father invites all to reconcile[See also Link to Liturgy Lesson - The Prodigal Son: Lost Feeling [See also Link to Liturgy Lesson - The Remedy for Sin[See also Link to Liturgy Lesson - To Love is to Forgive[See also Link to Liturgy Lesson - What is Sin?